STD Education Campaign Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

STD Education Campaign - Case Study Example 4. Public education: The campaign should be able to teach the students how transmission of STDs occurs and the potential preventive measures. The campaign should also teach the students the importance of knowing ones HIV status. Hygiene should also be part of the teaching during sexual activities (Aral, Fenton, & Lipshutz, 2013). 5. Promoting openness: Most of the people that have contracted STDs feel shy to seek doctors’ help. The campaign team should make the students understand that keeping STD as a secret is risky to an individual’s life. They should be encouraged to seek a doctor’s help as soon as they realize some of the symptoms. By doing that cure would be easier than waiting for the disease to worsen. 6. STD patients care: During the campaign‚, the students should accomplish services such as STD, HIV and pregnancy test. The campaign team should advance health care to STD, HIV and Pregnant patients. Moreover, the team should provide the patients with medicine to fasten the healing process and preventive process. 7. Motivating the students; Notably, students would always appreciate and remain motivated when given gifts. For a student, issuance of a participation certificate could be the most precious thing in the campaign. The certificate would assist them remember the teachings about STD and act as a professional

Problems and Aspirations of Youth Essay Example for Free

Problems and Aspirations of Youth Essay INTRODUCTION: Trying hands on contemporary writing and then reigning over hearts of millions is not that easy as has been proved by one of the prominent writers of the day – Chetan Bhagat. Very few authors have managed to reach out to such a wide audience as Chetan Bhagat. There is originality of content in his writings and when he writes people feel as if it is their story. He is a phenomenon that has affected everybody, touched everybody’s life. Indian Publishing shall now be divided into pre and post Chetan Bhagat. He has created those kinds of landmarks. Chetan Bhagat projects his readers’ viewpoint in his writings. According to him,† A writer’s first job is to strike a chord, and not to please elitist circles,† He does it by caring for his readers and listening to them,† It can’t be just the language, as it is simply the common language of the people. It is more about what is being said and communicated that strikes a chord.† Chetan strongly believes that the language should be colloquial- a popular fiction has to be a dialogue with the people on the streets. CHETAN BHAGAT:- A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH Chetan Bhagat (born on 22 April,1974) is a contemporary Indian author who has written four novels namely :- â€Å" Five Point Someone- What not to do at IIT†, â€Å" One Night @ The Call Center†, â€Å"The 3 Mistakes of My Life† and â€Å"2 States: The Story of My Marriage†, respectively. He grew up in Delhi in a Punjabi family in an uncertain home environment where his parents used to fight a lot. His father, an army officer, was very strict and he wasn’t allowed to watch television or films. So, Chetan and his brother used to make up movie stories and perhaps that’s where this tact of writing all sprang up. Bhagat attended Army Public School (1978-1991), Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi. He studied Mechanical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi (1991-1995), and then studied at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmadabad (1995-1997), where he was named â€Å"The Best Outgoing Student† He fell in love with his IIM Ahmadabad classmate Anusha and they eventually got married. His novel â€Å"2 States: The Story of My Marriage†, is a fictional version of his love story. After graduating from IIT and IIM, he joined Peregrine, a financial service company in Hong-Kong. It shut down in six months but Chetan stayed on in Hong-Kong for eleven years, moving to Goldman Sachs. It was to spite his boss that he started writing his first novel. No doubt it was a great moment for Bhagat but he was in a bank and dissatisfied. His boss was very bad. So to take revenge on him. He started writing in office. CHETAN BHAGAT’S WRITING STYLE AND CHARACTERS The secret to Chetan Bhagat’s success is he writes in ordinary English and it is reassuring for young people to know someone knows what they are going through. In other words, Bhagat’s writing style tends to be simple with linear narratives and vivid storytelling. His protagonists tend to be named after avatars of Hindu deity Vishnu, like Hari, Shyam, Govind or Krishna. All his books have a number in the title (e.g. ‘five’ in the first, ‘one’ in the second, ‘three in the third and ‘two’ in the fourth book.) When asked about this, Bhagat replied that he is a banker and he can’t get numbers out of his head. Bhagat, 35, is the first to admit that he is no Arundhati Roy, the Indian Booker Prize winning author and says he knows critics feel his books are shallow. But Bhagat, who enjoys a rock-star like popularity among his readers, aged mainly 13 to 30, said he has the ultimate riposte—â€Å"My books sell.† Bhagat says that he writes for ‘ordinary young people’ who feel suffocated by their parents’ desire for them to become doctors, lawyers, or engineers. According to Bhagat- Indian youngsters live under pressure-cooker conditions to succeed. There is cut-throat competition to win places in India’s elite universities with youngsters compelled to score highly from primary to high school. Entrance to top universities often requires ninety percent- plus averages and most children have afterschool tutoring to attain such marks. A paragon of this philosophy can be seen in his novel â€Å" One Night @ The Call Center†, where the hero, who answers the phone calls from clueless Americans about their cooking appliances, remarks,† Every cousin of mine is becoming a doctor or engineer,†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.You can say I am the black sheep of my family.† Bhagat believes that India tends to have an academic and social revolution to prevent young people simply regurgitating what they learn without thinking. He wants to convey this message across to the Indian youth- even if they don’t get stratospheric marks, they are still entitled to a happy life; and it’s not the end of the world if they fail. He generally talks about youngsters’ worries, their anxieties and all those things which preoccupy them, by means of his writings. His writing subjects include parental academic pressure along with pre-marital sex, drinking and other topics taboo in socially conservative India. CHETAN BHAGAT’S NOVELS 1. FIVE POINT SOMEONE- WHAT NOT TO DO AT IIT! â€Å"Five Point Someone†¦.† was his first book which adopted a breezy, ironic tone to explore the lives of exam-oppressed students who cram to get into the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi and then rebel against the stultifying atmosphere of academic competition. It features soft-drugs, binge- drinking, and an affair between a student and his professor’s daughter. To be clear, the story of â€Å"Five Point Someone†¦Ã¢â‚¬  revolves around three studentsHari, Ryan and Alok who come from three different backgrounds. The book is about their years in IIT Delhi and how they cope with the pressure of studies, family and relationships. The book was well received by the public, especially among the younger generation, and brought Bhagat a large following. It was adapted into a play by the theatre group ‘Madras Players’ and also by ‘Evam’. This book was adapted into a movie called ‘3 Idiots’, though Bhagat has stated that he was not involved in the scriptwriting in anyway, and was involved in a controversy with the director and the producer of the movie over crediting his contribution to the script. Directed by Raj Kumar Hirani, and starring Aamir Khan, R. Madhvan, Sharman Joshi, Kareena Kapoor, and Boman Irani in pivotal roles, it was released on 25 December, 2009. About a week after the release of the movie, ‘3 Idiots’, Chetan Bhagat claimed for the credit for the story and this credit row became a national issue. On January 1, 2010, Star News channel got Chetan Bhagat, Aamir khan and Abhijat Joshi- the so-called script writer, switched to each other at their respective places through Star News correspondents. During this programme, Chetan Bhagat claimed that before the release of the movie ‘3 Idiots’, neither he had been shown the preview of the movie nor given any participation in the script writing. At that time he was told that the adaptation of ‘Five Point Someone†¦.’ to ‘3 Idiots’, was just two to three percent or at the most just five percent and rest of the plot was different, but when the movie released and hit the Box Office as the biggest hit of the time, Chetan felt bad, because the story was not just five percent from his book rather it was seventy to eighty percent of his book. He kept mum for a week but when his fans and readers kept on asking him why he didn’t take any action or show any reaction against the makers, at that point of time Bhagat sought the shelter of the media and came into the lime-light with his credit claim. On the other hand Aamir khan in one of his interviews made it clear that there was no similarity between the movie and ‘Five Point Someone†¦.’ and also as Aamir had not read Bhagat’s novel, Bhagat prohibited him to go through ‘Five Point Someone’, saying that both the movie and the novel were quite different from each other in story as well as plot. And now after the release of the movie, seeing it to be a big hit Chetan Bhagat is claiming for credit? It is quite wrong on his part because he wants to snatch the credit of Abhijat Joshi- the actual script writer of ‘3 Idiots’, who worked on the story along with Raj Kumar Hirani – the director. Aamir also interrogated Chetan Bhagat saying that Raju Hirani had directed ‘Munna Bhai MBBS’ and its sequel ‘Lage Raho Munna Bhai’, so Chetan Bhagat would claim that these two movies were also his creations! Aamir labeled Chetan Bhagat as publicity hungry writer. Chetan Bhagat defended himself by saying that the producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra had told him that there was hardly any similarity between the movie and the novel apart from the five percent of loose inspiration. He added that he relied upon Vidhu and said so to Aamir prohibiting him going through ‘Five Point Someone’. It was only after the release of ‘3 Idiots’ that Chetan Bhagat realized that he had been duped as Vidhu kept him in dark by lying and that was why he claimed for credit. He said that as per contract signed between him and Vidhu, he had been promised full justice by displaying his name among the main star-cast, but his name was given towards the end among assistants’ names in the rolling cast. This really pinched him. At one occasion during the promotion of the movie ‘3 Idiots’, interacting with the media persons in a press conference when a press reporter asked Raju Hirani, Aamir and Vidhu Vinod about the authenticity of the story whether it was an original one or taken from Chetan Bhagat’s ‘Five Point Someone†¦.’, Vidhu Vinod lost his temper. He raised his finger at that press reporter and asked him to shut up. This act of Vidhu further added oil to fire and the matter turned from bad to worst. All the news channels repeatedly telecasted Vidhu raising finger and saying ‘SHUT UP’. No doubt, the next day, somehow, Vidhu realized his mistake and openly apologized labeling himself a ‘BEAST’ and his action of raising finger and saying ‘shut up’- an insane or uncivilized act. When asked about Vidhu’s ill-mannerism from Chetan Bhagat, the later showed his gratitude to the media for bringing forth Vidhu’s real per sonality, as it would have been quite difficult for him to do so at his own level. A few days after this incident another interview with Chetan Bhagat was telecasted on news channel where he disclosed that Abhijat Joshi had threatened him to send a legal notice in his name if he ever claimed for the credit for the story again. Chetan Bhagat subsided for some time. It was a great shock to the fan-readers of Bhagat when a video clip of Bhagat’s interview on 24-12-2009 was telecasted on another news channel. It showed Bhagat in very high spirits saying that he had given his book ‘Five Point Someone†¦.’ to the makers of ‘3 Idiots’ just like a daughter and after watching the premier of the movie ‘3 Idiots’, it seemed to him that his simple daughter turned into a bridal-look, so he would definitely give five out of five points to the movie. Chetan Bhagat also appreciated the adaptation of ‘Five Point Someone†¦.’ to ‘3 Idiots’ and confessed that he couldn’t have done this if asked for as Raju and Vidhu have done and added that his family is quite happy over this. Bollywood News channel Lehren depicted this incident of credit claim row and Vidhu’s misbehavior mere a pre-planned drama to benefit both the movie as well as the book. 2. ONE NIGHT @ THE CALL CENTER It was released in India in October 2005 also to popular demand. This book was about six people who work at a call center and about a night when they receive a call from God. Noted Bollywood film director Rohan Sippy bought the rights from Bhagat, but later Sippy let the rights pass on to director Atul Agnihotri, brother-in-law of Arbaaz Khan. The movie version of the novel is titled as ‘HELLO’ starring Salman Khan, Sohail Khan, Amrita Arora, Esha Koppikar, Gul Panag, and Sharman Joshi. Bhagat worked directly on the script of the movie, moulding it to fit the silver screen. However, the film did not succeeed commercially. ‘One Night @ The Call Center’ is a romantic comedy set in an office where bored young Indians try to resolve the mindless inquiries of Midwestern American Technophobes. The story is a comedy of romance and crossed lines. There are three main themes: ex-girlfriend, bad-boss, and God. The story revolves around six friends who are selling home appliances to the US from a call center in India. Each one has an issue with love. Call agent Sam works right beside the girl who has just duped him. He is dating someone he can’t stand just to get over her. Esha is just short of becoming a model. Two inches, to be precise. Vroom wants to change the world. Radhika is trying to manage her mother-in-law, and hold down her job. Tonight is Thanksgiving in America, and customers are queuing up to complain about white goods going wrong. On this night of a thousand phone calls, when life couldn’t look more dismal, one unique caller got on the line- God: and that call is going to change everything†¦.A romantic comedy of six friends kicking against the system, against their boss, and against each other. The fact that ‘One Night @ The Call Center’, was an enormous success in India is very strange or unusual and troubling. Although it may seem a feel-good story about Indian empowerment in a globalized world, but Bhagat finds no other way to reach a happy end but through a ridiculous and an unexpected event saving a seemingly hopeless situation and a series of morally reprehensible acts. One might be able to forgive him invoking God- the ultimate fall-back guy when nothing else works: but the mean-spirited and outrageous means he chooses for his characters to find happiness and satisfaction is beyond contempt. In the opening page, we are asked to do a task- think about something you fear, that makes you angry and one thing you don’t like about yourself. After a deep pondering, one may come up with an idea and plod on with the reading. When you reach the end of the novel you find yourself thinking about what you said in the beginning and viewing it in a different way- clever stuff, actually Bhagat’s writing style is so easy that you are soon swept along with the narrative. The novel has a prologue, in which author- Chetan Bhagat encounters a beautiful woman on a train-trip. She offers to tell him a story- but will do so only on one condition that he uses it for his next book. It is set at a call center, describing the events of a single night shift†¦..and she warns him (as well as the readers) to expect at least one unusual occurrence: â€Å"it was the night†¦.it was the night there was a phone call from God.† That’s a lot of pressure to put on a book- and since the phone call comes on page241, that’s also an awful lot of suspense to leave the reader in for a very long time. The story is narrated by Shyam Mehra, who works at the Connections Call Center. Here Indians man the phones all night, fielding calls from American consumers who are having troubles with their electronic goods. The company is kept afloat by its account with Western Computers and Appliances, but isn’t doing spectacularly well (â€Å"call volumes are at an all time low†¦.Connections is doomed†) and there is talk of â€Å"rightsizing† i.e. downsizing. Shyam works in the WASG bay which stands for the Western Appliances Strategic Group, handling home appliance issues i.e. people having trouble with their refrigerators, ovens, and vacuum cleaners. The novel focuses on Shyam and handful of his colleagues- a motley crew of Indians who, for a variety of reasons, have wound up in the same job. For quite a while ‘One Night @ The Call Center’ is fairly predictable; the characters and their personal stories are introduced, the bad boss is shown being bad, the American callers are unlucky. Bhagat does not do any of this particularly well, but it’s modestly engaging and there seem to be some possibilities. Priyanka’s sudden engagement to a Microsoft-man she has never seen, stirs the things up, and each of the characters has his or her own story which Bhagat at least offers a glimpse of. He is at his best in describing the workplace- silliness, dealing with customers and bosses, though not particularly creative or imaginative. Bhagat has a self-righteous and important streak that undermines much of his possibly valid social criticism. Claims of intellectual superiority hardly mask the pathetic inferiority complex they all seem to suffer from. At Connections they are taught: â€Å"the brain and IQ of a thirty-five-year-old American is the same as the brain of a ten-year-old Indian. This will help you understand your clients. You need to be as patient with them as you are when dealing with a child. Americans are stupid, just accept it.† It was quite surprising that the novel ‘One Night @ The Call Center’ was getting an American release, as Americans aren’t exactly shown in a flattering light here. The thirty five is equal to ten rule just makes one stunned. The Indian call center teaches all the agents that a thirty five year old American is as intelligent as a ten year old Indian child!! One would wonder how Americans will take this saying. Perhaps one sort of has to insult the people who call all night long to complain about idiotic problems now and then to stay sane and not end up screaming at them after one stupid question too many. The author does acknowledge that in spite of the vast intelligence Indians have, the country is plagued by corruption and thus very behind America. In a nutshell, it can be said that Bhagat raises valid issues and concerns- but does not take them in the least seriously, offering neither reasonable descriptions of the issues, nor any sensible way of dealing with them. The characters one finds working in these places like call-centers, the cross-cultural issues (some of which he even manages to begin to convey), the different faces of modernizing India, the family pressures especially on women; Bhagat even lays a decent foundation. But in going completely overboard like God! Operation Yankee fears! ; He undoes all of the promise of the book, and with his morally defective happy end, sends such a wrong message that one has to condemn the whole exercise. 3. THE THREE MISTAKES OF MY LIFE It is Bhagat’s third book, about cricket, religious politics and rebellious love. About how three friends get caught in a tangle to earn some money and fame, and how they sort it out. The book was published in May 2008 and had an initial print –run of 200,000 copies. The novel follows the story of three friends and is based in the city of Ahmadabad in western India where the author had begun his independent life and so this city is quite close to his heart. Farhan Akhtar’s Excel Entertainment has bought the rights for making a movie based on this, and it will be directed by Abhishek Kapoor of ‘ROCK ON!’ fame. The book has fiction: sentiment, romance, social message, business, life, relations, religion and of course cricket. It’s the story about three friends Omi, Govind and Ish who are struggling to decide their goal. The story is presented through Govind’s eye; he is a brilliant student of mathematics. He has an aptitude and penchant for business and it’s his three mistakes of life that are presented along. Govind is a true Gujarati, interested in coming up on his own in life through business. Ishaan or Ish- a failure in studies but a great cricketer (obviously great in the local school team), has a passion in playing, teaching and watching cricket. Omi comes from a family of priests with no inclination of becoming a priest and just moves along with his two friends. The journey of these simple people in life, how their lives get affected by the worst disasters in Gujarat’s history is portrayed in a simple yet efficient way by Chetan Bhagat. This book also teaches you how your dreams crash into pieces by unexpected events but how with the support from people around, you get back on track, focus and rebuild your dreams. Vidya, Ishaan’s sister, a teenager with her eyes on Govind, represents typically homely Indian girls trying to lose their virginity and so-called boys feeling shy and guilty after having sex with them†¦. as Neha in ‘Five Point Someone’ and here Vidya in this novel. Ali, a gifted batsman and son of a local Muslim politician, plays a prominent role in the story. It’s the story of how Govind, Ishaan and Omi come up with a sports store in their area and how they achieve success in it by clubbing it with Math’s tuitions and cricket coaching classes. The writer has thrown in the angle of Ali a gifted batsman who is in need of coaching and as Ishaan is an avid cricket player whose passion lies in playing, teaching and watching cricket, comes in as Ali’s savior because he does not want a brilliant talent to be wasted. Then there is a love angle of Vidya and Govind thrown in. And to top it all Chetan Bhagat has placed the novel in the era when Ahmadabad suffered with a nightmare of an earthquake and riots. The book traces the lives of these characters and their trials and tribulations. This novel especially comes at a time when people only want to come up with excuses to show or feel how different they are rather than see the common aspects and bring oneness which can keep us together and achieve our common goal of growth, peace and prosperity. The language is simple, it connects well with the youth of India and the narration has improved as compared to the earlier novels. Chetan Bhagat has again proved that to be best novelist you don’t need fabulous vocabulary or you don’t need awesome critics review, all you need is a thread to connect to the plain minds of people. Truly this novel teaches you- life will have many setbacks. People close to you will hurt you, but you don’t break it off, you don’t hurt them more. You try to heal it. It is a lesson not only you, but our country needs to learn. The story involves some of the major headlines of early 2000 like the Gujarat earthquake, India-Australia test series, the 9/11 WTC attack and not to forget the Godhra train mishap. Apart from cricket, business and religion it also has the mesmerizing love story between Govind and Vidya the story is good, since the events are from recent past and it’s easy to connect with it. It can be completed in one sitting. But there are not many surprises as it has not gone away from Bhagat’s typical style of writing. It is less on humor content as well. Chetan has been very clever by stating ‘3 mistakes’ and you keep flipping the pages for knowing the other two mistakes as the first mistake you will come to know quite soon. It is a book with nice ingredients of real events and fiction perfectly cooked for a delicious dish. No mistake in giving it a read. 4. 2 STATES: THE STORY OF MY MARRIAGE This book is about how love marriages work in India and is again typical of him in the first person. It is like his first book ‘Five Point Someone’, expected to be inspired by his own life. The book is funny and completely different from his previous novels; perhaps this time Bhagat did not want to write about friends any more. ‘2 States.’ is about Krish and Ananya, who are from two different states of India. They are deeply in love and want to get married. But their parents do not agree. To convert a love story into a wedding, the couple has a tough fight ahead of them. Perhaps it is no secret that Chetan, a Punjabi and Anusha, a Tamilian, had to work hard to have both sets of parents agree to their relationship and subsequently their marriage. To provide a further glimpse into their personal story, Chetan decided to take up penning this book after leaving his banking job and having decided to become a full-time writer. While Anusha emphasizes that when Chetan announced to her for the first time this book would heavily lean on their life story, she indeed was a little wary. In fact Anusha also stresses that before writing the book, both Chetan and she spoke to their parents assuring them that it was not about them. While Chetan accepts that a lot of portions of the book have been dramatized at the insistence of his wife, he credits his fans for conceptualizing this book. When Anusha read the book, she loved the female lead, who is modern, liberated and educated. India is opening up and parents are learning to accept love marriages despite prejudices about caste. Bhagat has dedicated this book to his in-laws and it would be for the first time any Indian writer has dedicated a book to his in-laws. In fact Chetan Bhagat admits that one of the biggest challenges would be to make sure that his in-laws still want to talk to him after reading this book. He surprises us by saying that he hopes that his wife’s parents will still be his in-laws. But, interestingly, Anusha’s parents had actually flown down from kolkata to attend the launch of the book ‘2 States†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ There is no second opinion about this that Indian love marriages are not easy. It’s just the boy and the girl who fall in love, but everyone- i.e. both their clans, have to fall in love too. In the end, the boy and the girl start questioning whether there’s anything more left to it and even fight. But it’s important to know what parents think of your marriage. Parents still have the remote control when it comes to emotions. According to Bhagat- however independent you are, getting married without parents’ approval is not good for the relationship. No doubt parents’ protesting against children marrying outside caste or religion is archaic today, still there are some honour-killing incidents in the recent times. Bhagat inspires by saying that if all else fails, the parents should do it for the sake of country. ‘2 States†¦.’ we all know well, is the story of Bhagat’s own love marriage to a Tamil Brahmin. Bhagat found that his own marriage had scope for humor because this Punjabi-Tamil is a continuous thing and a lot of Indians can relate to it. The story is fictionalized but the feelings that Bhagat had gone through, are the same as what the characters experience. And of course it was difficult for him to convince his own parents to accept his Tamilian wife – Anusha, who was also a banker. So, there are jokes about Punjabis and Tamilians in this book. More importantly, Bhagat used it to address to his strained relationship with his father. Speaking about ‘2 States†¦.’, Bhagat says that the story is not a memoir, it was nice, the feeling of suspension of disbelief, but as it involves his own family, so he wants to make it clear that it is a work of fiction. That is why there are character changes and the dramatization is higher. Calling it a fluffy novel, Bhagat says that it is personal and treats the complex issue of inter-community marriages, the fun way. And sends home a bigger message of homogeneous society. According to Bhagat, homogeneity is important for a country to move forward. Today’s youth are traveling to different cities for studies and work, and they will meet someone; but parents are still rooted in prejudices that have to be addressed. To take his stand point firmly, Bhagat cites the success stories of Korea, Taiwan and China that have seen progress from a developing country by adopting homogeneity. Chetan Bhagat believes to do what your heart says. Knowing what you want and sticking to your decision is most important. And he himself did just that. He fell in love, knew what he was doing and followed his heart. And so, a book happened. Bhagat feels that his best stories are those drawn from his own life and experiences. The more personal the book, the more unusual and funny it becomes for him. People relate to it better because they know him, his wife and his twin sons. He strongly believes that the function of literature is to reflect society and by means of his novels he is causing some change in a large part of India, which is far more satisfying. AS A COLUMNIST Bhagat has an open-ended column in Dainik Bhaskar, a large Hindi newspaper and another at The Times of India, English daily. He says,†the main purpose of the books and films is to entertain, but the columns allow me to give my views on how the nation should be run.† His articles are written in simple English to achieve mass appeal. He also visits Educational Institutions in India to give motivational talks. ON TELEVISION Bhagat was a judge on a reality show by Star News called ‘Star Anchor Hunt’ AWARDS Chetan Bhagat has been honoured with ‘Society Young Achiever’s Award’ in 2004 and ‘Publisher’s Recognition Award’ in 2005.

Health Care Reform Essay -- essays research papers

From FDR’s New Deal to Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society, the United States government has attempted to centralize extensive social policies. In the early eighties, when recession and inflation were at a high, Ronald Reagan took office and pronounced that the federal government needed to take a lesser role in the lives of the American people. As Theda Skocpol comments in her book Boomerang: Clinton’s Health Security Effort and the Turn Against Government in U.S. Politics, the Reagan administration instilled a dislike of centralized government in the American people. This was a major reason, according to Skocpol, why the Clinton Administration failed to nationalize â€Å"Health Security†. It was this fear of centralized government and Clinton’s failure to reform Health Care that makes a more centralized social policy unlikely in the near future.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There has been a necessity in the twentieth century (due in part to the Great Depression and World War II) for big government. The legislation behind Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal called for the involvement of the federal government to create a highly bureaucratic social policy. The combination of Roosevelt’s political assertiveness and society’s willingness to allow such centralization that made big government possible. The laissez-faire mentality of the twenties was seen as the cause of the depression. The federal government and the ensuing reforms were seen as a way of insuring economic security. In the sixti...

Essay --

800 words - Christiana Aiyeola Priority Seats Are Like Marmite; You Either Love Them, or You Hate Them. The number of people that see priority seats is ever growing every day. These seats are located the front of most buses asking regular passengers to relocate the other seats nearer the back of the bus. The debatable subject about it is, ‘Are they really needed? Wouldn’t we already give up our seats for the elderly?’ So I ask; Priority seats - Manner or Menace? Whether or not you believe that priority seats are needed to tell us what we already know; those who regularly take the bus to school or work will have undoubtedly experienced sitting in a priority seat. There is a certain feeling of nervousness that you experience, as you carefully keep an eye on the front door, steadily waiting on the edge of your seat, expecting the arrival of an OAP. Next, one of two things happens – one enters, or one doesn’t. Either way you are left pondering one question: ‘Why did I ever sit here in the first place?’ If a senior member of the public does enter you are forced to transfer all of your belongings elsewhere; if one doesn’t, your trip is ruined anyway since your peaceful journey has been interrupted by your constant watch of the front door. The truth is, even though priority seats are not made to make you feel guilty, they accomplish his by just existing. They are supposed to guarantee a safe and comfortable journey for all. Instead, they do the complete opposite by ensuring that those who do not harbour some sort of disability or are not of old age have to suffer from disapproving looks from other passengers as well as an indecisive inner conscience. This is unacceptable. Are we are better off without them? The British public are not s... ...ere so much kerfuffle over one seat you ask? Simple - there is a bigger more philosophical idea behind the priority seat. Yes, it does sound ridiculous - though it makes sense. Society has created yet another item that was supposed to be put to good use, but has been spoiled by those who have chosen to take notice of its correct purpose. Can we ever create an item solely to have a good function? Priority seats have a good idea behind them, but until we become a more civilised society, they will never show their true colours. Our solution is simple: we teach our kids manners when they are young, so that soon there will be no need for priority seats. In my opinion, I think the future is pretty bleak for them as they are the result of much conflict, though I can’t decide whether we need them. It all goes back to the main question; Priority seats – Manner or Menace? Essay -- 800 words - Christiana Aiyeola Priority Seats Are Like Marmite; You Either Love Them, or You Hate Them. The number of people that see priority seats is ever growing every day. These seats are located the front of most buses asking regular passengers to relocate the other seats nearer the back of the bus. The debatable subject about it is, ‘Are they really needed? Wouldn’t we already give up our seats for the elderly?’ So I ask; Priority seats - Manner or Menace? Whether or not you believe that priority seats are needed to tell us what we already know; those who regularly take the bus to school or work will have undoubtedly experienced sitting in a priority seat. There is a certain feeling of nervousness that you experience, as you carefully keep an eye on the front door, steadily waiting on the edge of your seat, expecting the arrival of an OAP. Next, one of two things happens – one enters, or one doesn’t. Either way you are left pondering one question: ‘Why did I ever sit here in the first place?’ If a senior member of the public does enter you are forced to transfer all of your belongings elsewhere; if one doesn’t, your trip is ruined anyway since your peaceful journey has been interrupted by your constant watch of the front door. The truth is, even though priority seats are not made to make you feel guilty, they accomplish his by just existing. They are supposed to guarantee a safe and comfortable journey for all. Instead, they do the complete opposite by ensuring that those who do not harbour some sort of disability or are not of old age have to suffer from disapproving looks from other passengers as well as an indecisive inner conscience. This is unacceptable. Are we are better off without them? The British public are not s... ...ere so much kerfuffle over one seat you ask? Simple - there is a bigger more philosophical idea behind the priority seat. Yes, it does sound ridiculous - though it makes sense. Society has created yet another item that was supposed to be put to good use, but has been spoiled by those who have chosen to take notice of its correct purpose. Can we ever create an item solely to have a good function? Priority seats have a good idea behind them, but until we become a more civilised society, they will never show their true colours. Our solution is simple: we teach our kids manners when they are young, so that soon there will be no need for priority seats. In my opinion, I think the future is pretty bleak for them as they are the result of much conflict, though I can’t decide whether we need them. It all goes back to the main question; Priority seats – Manner or Menace?

Summer assignment

AP Microeconomics Summer Assignment Economics is a way of looking at the world and making rational decisions based on costs and benefits. Wondering how Over the summer, please read the book, Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science, by Charles Wheelan. As you read the book, take notes that will help you answer some important questions and understand economic concepts. Your task is described below. Choose any five concepts discussed and analyzed by Wheelan. (The concepts should be from different chapters in the book.Understanding the examples used in the book, try to relate these concepts to other situations that you might have experienced, or read about in the business/economic news. Create a poster, collage or a scrapbook related to your 5 economic events. Be ready to discuss your work in class. As you read the book, make a list of all the Nobel Prize winners mentioned. Be creative and have fun with the assignment. This assignment is due the first day of class. Enjoy your summ er! or a scrapbook related to your 5 economic events Be ready to discuss your work in Summer Assignment Compare and contrast the government, religion, geography, and economy of the three English colonial regions. Be sure to consider the role of race, gender, and ethnicity. English colonies in America were, for the most part, successful and fruitful, albeit for starkly different reasons. The three regions of New England, the Carolinas and the Chesapeake Bay had different ways of earning their ways, which translated into gaps in culture, religion, and forms of government.The economy in New England was eased off of small food farms owned by families, artisans products, and trade with Native Americans. Consisting of almost singularly Puritans wishing solace from England's corrupt monarchy, the region became a series of small, tight-knit communities which were bound together by their hatred of England. The commonwealth nature of New England brought about elected governors and a modern-style two party government, but created a slightly socialist way of distributing wealth throughout the inte rconnected community.This region contrast heavily with each of the two southern regions, which were much more diverse ethnically and religiously. The Carolinas were filled with all types of European immigrants, treated mostly equally, while the Chesapeake was a refuge for Catholics and a destination for slave labor. Both the Carolinas and the Chesapeake region were based on large plots of land, headed by aristocratic leaders, although the structure differed slightly as the Carolinas fell back onto a pseudo-feudal system while the Chesapeake region had more of a slave-master dynamic.Women had a slightly bigger role In these parts as co-leaders of labor workers. Not surprisingly, the limited and geography of each region dictated what was grown there and consequently the economic systems in each region. The southern, hot, humid, flat, swampy climate gave way to rice and tobacco, grown on hundreds of acres, while the harsh winters of the north limited agriculture to small home farms. Sl avery gained traction in the south as a way to raise profit margins, as landowners eschewed the practice of keeping indentured servants In favor for free labor from â€Å"anonymous. The diversity of the regions was remarkable, although what would be more remarkable to the common eye would be the way they all bound together despite heir differences in the face of a common enemy, the British, in the years to come. And thought? As the beginning of revolutionary thought and action by a unified American people, the Great Awakening left its bigger mark as the sparks of revolt against the British government. The media through which it achieved this were the minds and hearts of Americans.One of the most unifying principles of Awakening thought was that all denominations of Christianity were more or less equal, giving the diverse population of the colonies a sense of belonging in a new land as opposed to the resection of Catholics and other Christian minorities in England at that time. Demo nstrations by otherwise commonly such as Jonathan Edwards reduced the sense of authoritative leadership by the Awakening preachers. This sense of togetherness bound colonists as one.The Awakening also made a change in peoples' values, taking the emphasis ever so slightly off prayer and worship and instead compelling people to appreciate their own self-worth. While this shift was not universally accepted, it had a big enough impact to influence the interests of colonists towards materialism. As people began thinking for themselves instead of eating the Jumbled British church/state govern their lives, they began to see the flaws in the system they were being ruled by. The Great Awakening was the first demonstration of American culture, uniting a people more tightly than any population under the British Empire. Hey should control their own economic, political, and religious destiny? A slew of events and other influences convinced English colonists in the Americas that they be better of f without Britain providing a â€Å"guiding† hand. In the mid to late sass, after incurring war debts from military involvement both in the New World ND in Europe, England began imposing taxes on its colonies, using them as a scapegoat to regain lost funds. These duties seemed unfair and useless to colonists, who did not benefit from the tax, because many Bruits residing in Europe were exempt.The placement of British troops in the colonies to help enforce the taxes further annoyed colonists. This quartering, combined with fickle restrictions on settlement boundaries that prohibited settlement of colonists in thousands of acres of British territory, caused unrest and calls for internal control were heard. Having pirated without much conflict across an ocean from the technical rulers of the colonies, and having established autonomous legislative bodies such as the House of Burgesses resist Parliament, there was no apparent reason to have further governance from such an estrange d leader.Enlightenment beliefs that supported religious tolerance also distanced, and in colonists' minds, elevated the ideals of the soon-to-be Americans over the British norm of strict Protestantism. The amalgamation of these different impetuses drove the colonists to believe they, and only they, should be in control of their destiny moving forward. Why did the events following the French and Indian war separate England from its colonies and serve to unite the colonies? The rift between England and its colonies continued to grow following the Seven Years War, first with the Proclamation line.This limited opportunities for westward expansion, stunting economic growth for those wishing to extend across the Appalachians. Next, a series of acts passed by Parliament whose aim was to recuperate funds lost from the war through duties on the colonies elicited both grumblings and outright protest from citizens, as well as implant with Parliamentary rule, the disobedience was a sign of thin gs to come. Looking to counter with a stronger grip, Parliament passed the Declaratory Act, an aggressive statement saying that Parliament had the right to enforce and put in place any law at any time anywhere in the colonies.Presumably, this did not go over well with the colonists, many of whom came to the colonies to catch a break from the set- in-stone procedures of British life. The first fracture between the two sides most probably was the Boston Massacre, and its effect is prominent in the modern opinions of the event. In America, we see the Massacre as ruthless murder, while in England the killings were Just subjugation of rowdy protestors. The entire colonial system now had a common enemy.Once Parliament took over even more power in the colonies by handling the pay of Massachusetts officials, which sent of cries of despotism through the colonial population, the collective colonial disgust for Britain showed itself through the Boston Tea Party in allegory of the war soon to c ome that would change the face of the planet until today. Chapter 6: Analyze how the American people made the shift from separating from an imperial system to creation of a republican form of government. The announcement of American revolution prompted formation of new governments to control the people and fulfill the dream of true independence from Britain.Extricating the colonies from political influence from England was a task eagerly performed by civilians, who, at the sound of the word â€Å"independence,† took to the streets to level statues of British authority. While freeing America from European influence was largely achieved by war, the Continental Congress that had drafted our nation's founding documents took to the more daunting task of setting up a government for he newest nation backed by a republican ideology. In the interim, questioning â€Å"what it meant to be no longer English, but American,*† the people of America felt lost and without identity.Ther e were basic principles the people desired in the United States, freest of countries, such as the eradication of hierarchical protection for members of the government. Guided by these basic necessities for legislature and society as a whole, state constitutions reflected more accurately the many identities of America in each state. One differentiating factor between states was the level of democracy; hill it was important for commoners to have oversight of the government, states like Pennsylvania were chided for perhaps giving the people too much power.As time went on, these procedures were whittled closer to the Massachusetts template of building a constitution, in which the people had the final say. The US Constitution followed much of the same principles as the states', confirming the republican equality of all citizens (read white landowning men). As young America began to find states. Evaluate the key differences between the Pennsylvania and Massachusetts State Constitutions. A fter independence was achieved, there was a clear consensus in the United States that the nation was to be free, and a democracy.However, the degree to which democracy was implemented was up to each individual state. An excellent paragon of different interpretations of democracy is seen when the state constitutions of Pennsylvania and Massachusetts are put side by side. In the northeastern Massachusetts, where communities were tightly bound together, the freedom was given to the people, who reviewed and approved or disapproved of a working constitution at a special convention. The overall fate of the state was left in the hands f the citizens rather than a few elected officials; they had the final say.Furthermore, Massachusetts residents were sure to put boundaries on what legislators could do, such as delegating the tasks of budget control and appointment of certain officials to an assembly of normal citizens. In Pennsylvania, however, republicanism was interpreted as a super-democ ratic state of being, where every white, taxpaying male had an equal say, and could contribute to debates on key topics. While there was Just a single legislative house, its constituents could be changed yearly.These two points attracted raised eyebrows and had other states question Pennsylvania long-term viability with the potential for such an unstable system of government. To boot, property was nearly redistributed to compensate for the danger of â€Å"an enormous proportion of property vested in a few individuals† endangering the common happiness and rights of the citizens. It seemed as if Pennsylvania was willing to resort to economic socialism to preserve political democracy. The popularizing nature of these propositions divided the state, whereas in Massachusetts, the best interests of all citizens were kept in mind to avoid conflict.

The Tiber River of Rome

The Tiber River of Rome The Tiber is one of longest rivers in  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Italy. It is about 250 miles long and varies between 7 and 20 feet deep. It is the second longest river in Italy, after the Po. The Tiber flows from the Apennines at Mount Fumaiolo through Rome and into the Tyrrhenian Sea at Ostia. Most of the city of Rome is to the east of the Tiber River. The area to the west, including the island in the Tiber, Insula Tiberina, was in Augustus XIVth region of  Rome. Origin of the Name Tiber The Tiber was originally called Albulula because it was so white, but it was renamed Tiberis after Tiberinus, who was a king of Alba Longa who drowned in the river. Theodor Mommsen says the Tiber was the natural highway for traffic in Latium and provided an early defense against neighbors on the other side of the river, which in the area of Rome runs approximately southwards. History of the Tiber In antiquity, ten bridges were built over the Tiber. Eight spanned the Tiber, while two permitted passage to the island. Mansions lined the riverside, and gardens leading to the river provided Rome with fresh fruits and vegetables. The Tiber was also a major highway for Mediterranean trade of oil, wine, and wheat. The Tiber was an important military focus for hundreds of years. During the third century B.C.E., Ostia (a town on the Tiber) became a naval base for the Punic Wars. The Second Veientine War (437-434 or 428-425 B.C.E.) was fought over control of a crossing of the Tiber. The disputed crossing was at Fidenae, five miles upstream from Rome. Attempts to tame the Tibers floods were unsuccessful. While today it flows between high walls, during Roman times it regularly overflowed its shores. The Tiber as a Sewer The Tiber was connected with the Cloaca Maxima, the sewer system of Rome, attributed to king Tarquinius Priscus. The Cloaca Maxima was built during the sixth-century B.C.E. as a canal, or channel, through the city. Based on an existing stream, it was expanded and lined with stone. By the third century B.C.E. the open channel had been lined with stone and covered with a vaulted stone roof. At the same time, Augustus Caesar had major repairs made to the system. The original purpose of the Cloaca Maxima was not to carry off waste, but rather to manage stormwater to avoid floods. Rainwater from the Forum district flowed downhill to the Tiber through the Cloaca. It wasnt until the time of the Roman Empire that public baths and latrines were connected to the system. Today, the Cloaca is still visible and still manages a small amount of Romes water. Much of the original stonework has been replaced by concrete.

Investigation of Photosynthetic Pigments in Spinach Essays

Investigation of Photosynthetic Pigments in Spinach Essays Investigation of Photosynthetic Pigments in Spinach Paper Investigation of Photosynthetic Pigments in Spinach Paper Investigation of Photosynthetic Pigments in Spinach Michael Yacoub BIOL211 Lori Hayes Introduction: Purpose: To demonstrate the existence of the pigments of photosynthesis in spinach by separating them using chromatography, then measure them using spectrometry. There are multiple pigments in photosynthesis, the varying pigments allow the plant to absorb light at various wavelengths which allows the plant to derive energy from photons from most, if not all, light available in that region it grows in. In this lab there were a variety of pigments that were looked at, they included, chlorophylls, carotenes, nd xanthophylls. Chlorophylls are any of the few green pigments associated with certain bacterial membranes that are responsible for trapping light for energy in photosynthesis. Carotenes can be red, orange, or yellow lipid pigments and is often found as an accessory pigment in photosynthesis. Xanthophylls are yellow or orange pigment also usually found as an accessory pigment in photosynthesis. Although, these are not quite clear in the drawing shown below because they were hard to find in the provided samples, one can find these various pigments are found within the hloroplasts and more specifically within the thylakoid membrane within photosystems one and two. When testing to see what wavelengths are involved in the process of photosynthesis an action spectra was created; this is a graph that graphs the biological processes versus light wavelengths. An absorption spectrum however, is a graph of light absorption versus wavelength of light and allows one to see how much light is absorbed at each wavelength. This can also help show which pigments are present in the plant. In this lab an absorption spectra was created in order to elp identify the varying pigments present in the spinach leaf. Spectrophotometry at a specified wavelength. This experiment was testing the hypothesis that the wavelength shown through the pigment in solution will affect the amount of light absorbed by the solution. In specific, it was predicted that the darker the solution the greater the absorbance. Furthermore, various pigments will have higher absorbance values at specific wavelengths than other pigments at other wavelengths. There are two independent variables; the wavelengths of light shown through the pigments in olution, a quantitative variable, and the pigments in solution, a qualitative variable. There is only one dependent variable however and it is the absorbency measured, also a quantitative variable. Leaf Cross-section: Experiment: The procedure in the Biology 211: Majors Cellular Laboratory Manual was used as reference in the experiment. The experiment began with obtaining a piece of chromatography paper cut with 12 cm x 14 cm dimensions. Then a line 1. 5 cm from the bottom was made by rolling a penny over a spinach leaf, producing a 14 cm long green spinach line. Then, the chromatography paper was rolled into a cylinder and stapled to hold together; the line made by the spinach leaf was on the outside. Meanwhile, 20 mL of separation solvent was placed in a 600 mL beaker and the cylindrical chromatography paper was placed in it without having the solvent touch the green line and covered with plastic wrap. This set up was left alone to sit, vented by lifting up a corner of the plastic wrap, resealed and allowed to sit until the solvent line was approximately 1 cm from the end of the paper. Once the solvent line was bout 1 cm from the end of the paper it was removed from the solvent and allowed to dry. Then each section of pigment was cut as without including any other pigment. The instructor pooled all of the classes pigments and placed them in 80% acetone in separate beakers and sealed until all the color was eluted from the paper. One pigment in solution was given to individual lab groups and one group was given a solution that included all the pigments (pigment 5). Each group used spectrophotometry to measure the absorbance of each pigment starting with a avelength of 400 nm all the way to a wavelength of 710 nm with 10 nm increments; the 80% acetone was used as a blank and the machine was blanked every time the wavelength was changed. The absorbencies were recorded, the data was pooled and absorption spectrum was created. Our group was analyzing pigment E. Results: Figure 1 and Table 2 provide the collected chromatography data, the qualitative data was collected here. Table 1, Figure 2, and Figure 3 provide the spectrometry data. The quantitative data was collected here. Table: Shows conclusive evidence of peaks for pigment absorbance. Also the absorbance from the spinach leaf was included. Chromatography of Spinach Pigment # Pigment Color Distance Moved (mm) Rf Value Dark Green 11 0. 169 2 Light Green 28 0. 431 3 Light Yellow 0 0. 769 4 Dark Yellow 65 1. 00 Table: Shows different color of pigments as well as relative polarities in relation to the separation solvent. Figure : Shows the absorbance of Just the spinach leaf. Provides a comparison to pigments. Figure: Shows the relative peaks of absorbance for each pigment given the varying wavelength. Discussion: The hypothesis was proven to be correct, it was clear that different pigments were in the spinach leaf and each of those pigments was absorbing more light at specific wavelengths while having very low to no absorbance at other wavelengths- this can e seen in Figure 3, as well as Table 1. This is what helps the plant make use of as much light as possible in photosynthesis and not let anything go to waste. Pigments A, B, and C have two peaks while pigments D and E have only one peak in about the exact same spot. Something one can notice about the absorbance of the spinach leaf is that there is a range of wavelengths where there is very low absorbance. This definitely supported the proposed hypothesis because different pigments did have extremes, clearly showing that different pigments were better suited for varying wavelengths. The absorbances were so low at points because the pigments, Chlorophyll A, Chlorophyll B, Xanthophyll, and Carotene absorb the most light at different optimal wavelengths, so the absorbance would be low at times because it at a wavelength where the pigment would absorb the most light. Furthermore, this supports the hypothesis more simply because, in fact, the wavelength did affect the absorbance. Lastly, the darker solutions in fact did have higher absorbency peaks. This makes sense because Figure 2 models the spectra of Pigment A,B, and C in Figure 3. These pigments were the darker color which means they were most bundant in the spinach leaf. Therefore since these graphs model each other it would conclude that these were the major pigments. This also goes to define the concentrations of the pigments found in spinach. Pigment B since it closely modeled the spectra for Just spinach found in Figure 2, must be the major pigment component in spinach due to the fact that spinach is a combination of all the pigments that were isolated. Error that could be found in this lab probably is from misusage of the Spec-20. Mistakes such as not completely zeroing the machine occurred; this could esult in errors in the absorbance data. This could be fixed by getting better lab equipment. References: Biology 211 Majors Cellular Laboratory Manual Self Assessment: 1. I chose to use scatter-line plots. I chose this because I felt like it easily showed the peaks that I kept talking about. Also it showed the relation between the spinach and pigment absorption spectra well. 2. They are excellent. They have titles, the axes are labeled, and that have citations. 3. Excellent. I feel like I learned all the objectives for the lab, and I was able to effectively display the information.

An Overview of the Edge City Theory

An Overview of the Edge City Theory There were a hundred thousand shapes and substances of incompleteness, wildly mingled out of their places, upside down, burrowing in the earth, aspiring in the earth, moldering in the water, and unintelligible as in any dream. - Charles Dickens on London in 1848; Garreau calls this quote the best one-sentence description of Edge City extant. Theyre called suburban business districts, major diversified centers, suburban cores, minicities, suburban activity centers, cities of realms, galactic cities, urban subcenters, pepperoni-pizza cities, superburbia, technoburbs, nucleations, disurbs, service cities, perimeter cities, peripheral centers, urban villages, and suburban downtowns but the name thats now most commonly used for places that the foregoing terms describe is edge cities. The term edge cities was coined by Washington Post journalist and author Joel Garreau in his 1991 book Edge City: Life on the New Frontier. Garreau equates the growing edge cities at major suburban freeway interchanges around America as the latest transformation of how we live and work. These new suburban cities have sprung up like dandelions across the fruited plain, theyre home to glistening office towers, huge retail complexes, and are always located close to major highways. The archetypal edge city is Tysons Corner, Virginia, outside Washington, D.C. Its located near the junctions of Interstate 495 (the D.C. beltway), Interstate 66, and Virginia 267 (the route from D.C. to Dulles International Airport). Tysons Corner wasnt much more than a village a few decades ago but today its home to the largest retail area on the east coast south of New York City (that includes Tysons Corner Center, home to six anchor department stores and over 230 stores in all), over 3,400 hotel rooms, over 100,000 jobs, over 25 million square feet of office space. Yet Tysons Corner is a city without a local civic government; much of it lies in unincorporated Fairfax County. Garreau established five rules for a place to be considered an edge city: The area must have more than five million square feet of office space (about the space of a good-sized downtown)The place must include over 600,000 square feet of retail space (the size of a large regional shopping mall)The population must rise every morning and drop every afternoon (i.e., there are more jobs than homes)The place is known as a single end destination (the place has it all; entertainment, shopping, recreation, etc.)The area must not have been anything like a city 30 years ago (cow pastures would have been nice) Garreau identified 123 places in a chapter of his book called The List as being true edge cities and 83 up-and-coming or planned edge cities around the country. The List included two dozen edge cities or those in progress in greater Los Angeles alone, 23 in metro Washington, D.C., and 21 in greater New York City. Garreau speaks to the history of the edge city: Edge Cities represent the third wave of our lives pushing into new frontiers in this half century. First, we moved our homes out past the traditional idea of what constituted a city. This was the suburbanization of America, especially after World War II. Then we wearied of returning downtown for the necessities of life, so we moved our marketplaces out to where we lived. This was the malling of America, especially in the 1960s and 1970s. Today, we have moved our means of creating wealth, the essence of urbanism - our jobs - out to where most of us have lived and shopped for two generations. That has led to the rise of Edge City. (p. 4)

Water quality method for chemistry lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Water quality method for chemistry - Lab Report Example The materials used in the experiment included the surface water test kit. The kit was from Hach Company. While conducting the experiment, safety procedures were fundamental; since the water was hazardous, protective clothing such as globes was important (W.H.O 114).   The test kit contains all materials required to perform the experiment, for example, reagents for testing chlorine content in water (Sturman & Kuruvilla 77).   There are other materials such as test tubes to put the surface water before adding reagents to test for various parameters.   With the help of a Grab sampler, collection of water samples was easy.   After collecting the water sample, appearance evaluation was present to determine the color, turbidity and presence of organic materials.   From the sample, odor was determinable via wafting.   The amount of dissolved oxygen in water was determinable via adherence to procedures from the test kit (W.H.O 116).   A PH meter from the test kit indicated the level of PH in the water sample.   The recording of water temperature was possible by following the test kit directions.   The nitrate test entailed additions of zinc sulfanilamide to the water sample and the results recorded.   The Hach kit aided determination of ammonia plus chlorine by following instructions from the Kit.   All the results from the tests were in records by all members of the group (Sturman & Kuruvilla 78). Observation of the water sample indicated clarity with small amounts of suspended solids. The water was clear, meaning that there was no color.

Aussie Pie Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Aussie Pie - Case Study Example The given report projects the financial statement for a start up business to acquire business loan. By preparing the financial statements of the organization, the management would be able to know how they have performed in one year after establishing a new business in the USA market. Initially, details of the planned business are given below on the basis of which projections are arrived at: BUSINESS IDEA: Anna Amphlett and Andrew Ferris plan to start up business in Seattle's Pike Place Market under the trade-marked name of Aussie Pies. Business would conduct production and distribution of Australian meat pies. Idea of exploring opportunity for a meat pie in the US arrived from Anna Amphlett and Andrew Ferris’s visit to Australia where the mentioned product is a national snack having huge market mainly during sports. PRODUCT DETAILS: Meat pies are hand sized pot pie made with pastry and filled with minced (ground) beef gravy. The pie has short crust bottom and flaky pastry top. The meat pie is about four inches in diameter and traditionally in hand with tomato sauce (tomato Ketchup) and accompanied by cold beer. Plan to introduce Australian meat pie in the US will mainly follow the same product details and differentiation will be offered in the quality of pies. The Aussie Pies will be of high quality with low fat beef. The Aussie Pies would be made from beef raised on ranches using no hormones or insecticides. Initially, standard meat pies would be offered and based on the level of success further specialty pies, such as steak and kidney pies, meat and sun dried tomato pies, and Barramundi pies would be offered. LOCATION: Anna Amphlett and Andrew Ferris plan to open first store in Seattle's Pike Place Market. This place is a popular destination for tourists, and they will be the basic target market. Tourists usually have curiosity for the cuisine of places they are visiting. Aussie Pies with high quality and low fat will mainly attract these tourists of Seattle. Moreover, quality raised meat being the specialty of Aussie Pies would attract health conscious young generation as well. PRICE: T he price of meat pie is decided to $ 3.25 per pie.

Experiance of Childhood Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Experiance of Childhood - Essay Example It is rightly said "There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again." (Lawrence 1999) Sometimes I wish to get back into my childhood where things were so simple and not complicated and life was like a piece of chocolate. I remember some moments of my childhood which I cherish even today. I remember the experience of my father helping me out with various learning processes, be it my first bicycle ride or helping me out with learning to write, holding my hand and helping me to make alphabets, when I was in kindergarten. The most interesting part of my childhood was my school days. I had always been a friendly being and a social animal. I made a lot of friends at school. I had always this attitude of interacting with as many people as I can whom I come across, so I had a big friendship circle. I used to play soccer with my friends who lived nearby my place and in the evening I used to watch cartoon shows on television. When I was nine my father changed my school and I was put into the most reputed school of that area. Thanks to my friendly nature I made a lot of friends there as well. It was a lot of learning process there, from where I started loving my childhood even more. After school my mother used to come to pick me up and then I used to go for the swimming after taking a rest of about two hours. My father always insisted me to pick up a sport ever since I was nine years old. Initially I didn't have any interest in swimming, though I used to go for it everyday. But later I developed a keen interest in the sport and I started learning it with much of interest. I remember when I was about to be 10 , I stood second in the district swimming championship. I was so excited that I thought I have conquered this world and therefore I demanded for a bicycle. I saw in a nearby shop a brand new bicycle with speed-gear technology, I insisted my parents to buy me that bicycle but they got me a simple bicycle. Initially after getting that simple bicycle I was not happy but later I was bribed with chocolates and ice-cream by my mother and I was happy with th at bicycle. Imagine the innocence of a kid to adjust with his liking for ice-cream and chocolates. Later when was 10 years old my dad took me for an educational trip round the country and I saw various parts of the country including some parts blessed with natural beauty. One of the most amazing thing that I can never forget about my childhood was my Maths class .I was always weal in this subject and so I generally used to feel uncomfortable in that class. I never got an A grade in that subject and I literally used to struggle in that subject. I developed interest in dance and i insisted my mother to join me dance classes. My parents thought that it was a waste of time and money and refused it, but i was adamant of joining the class and kept on insisting my parents and they finally gave up and made me join it. I was excited and I learned a lot there and I made many friends there as well. The biggest surprise of my childhood was on my 12th birthday when my parents gifted me a Compute r. I was so excited but basically to play games on it. My parents have always been co-operative and interactive with me and I learned a lot from them . I can remember that day when I landed up with a fight with one of my classmates and my parents were called

The Real Future of Recycling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Real Future of Recycling - Essay Example recycling it is meant that the products which are being used once and thrown away are being manufactured in such a way that their raw materials can be used again to form the new products of the same generation. (Mitchell 2007) The logo ‘Reduce, reuse and recycle’ has been derived to lower down the waste products in the world and reuse these waste products to produce new efficient ones. Specific materials are present in this world which can be recycled which are glass, plastics, cans, metals, papers etc. Recycling has grown to be a global issue because of the alarming condition of the resources in this world and it has almost become obligatory on every household and businesses in the developed countries. (Yeoman & McKee 2000). This paper would revolve around the issue of Recycling and would provide both the viewpoints regarding the success or failure of Recycling in this world. The logo ‘Reduce Reuse and Recycle’ is specifically used to depict the process of recycling in this world. In developed countries it is seen that many of the households and businesses have taken special measures which help in recycling products which are being used. Authorities in these developed countries are taking measures which would ensure that recycling rate is increasing. As quoted by Sandy Irvine â€Å"the European Commission is making moves in the same direction.† (1998) Businesses such as shopping markets and business centers have special sites for the dumping of articles which can be recycled. Similarly the citizens in the developed countries are obliged to dump all the products that are used in recycle bins so that they can be used again. Government is intervening in recycling programs by investing in roadside recycling bins and other plants which would help to recycle waste products. The waste products of households are usually taken by waste collect ion vehicles which then take the waste materials to specific plants (Mitchell 2007). As the waste products are a mixture of

Voice of the Customer Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Voice of the Customer - Assignment Example Customer loyalty is yielded by customer satisfaction through improvement of products and processes. Customer loyalty is similar to customer satisfaction since they both participate in bringing new customers and they are a tool an organization can use in fighting competition. However, customer loyalty develops over a long period as opposed to customer satisfaction that is immediate. Voice of customer refers to all the activities undertaken by an organization so that they get the response of their clients so that they can respond to their unmet demands. These activities are continuous since the demands of customers keep changing over time. The tools used for VOC include interviews, surveys observation and field report. These activities differ depending on the kind of product being offered by the organization. It helps the business to identify the necessities of their customers so that they can respond positively to their needs and hence create customer satisfaction and later customer loyalty. A satisfied customer has a high probability of becoming loyal although it is not a guarantee. A satisfied customer who requires the product often can become loyal but if he/she does not require the product often they may not become loyal. Changing needs may also limit a satisfied customer from being loyal to a

The Real Future of Recycling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Real Future of Recycling - Essay Example recycling it is meant that the products which are being used once and thrown away are being manufactured in such a way that their raw materials can be used again to form the new products of the same generation. (Mitchell 2007) The logo ‘Reduce, reuse and recycle’ has been derived to lower down the waste products in the world and reuse these waste products to produce new efficient ones. Specific materials are present in this world which can be recycled which are glass, plastics, cans, metals, papers etc. Recycling has grown to be a global issue because of the alarming condition of the resources in this world and it has almost become obligatory on every household and businesses in the developed countries. (Yeoman & McKee 2000). This paper would revolve around the issue of Recycling and would provide both the viewpoints regarding the success or failure of Recycling in this world. The logo ‘Reduce Reuse and Recycle’ is specifically used to depict the process of recycling in this world. In developed countries it is seen that many of the households and businesses have taken special measures which help in recycling products which are being used. Authorities in these developed countries are taking measures which would ensure that recycling rate is increasing. As quoted by Sandy Irvine â€Å"the European Commission is making moves in the same direction.† (1998) Businesses such as shopping markets and business centers have special sites for the dumping of articles which can be recycled. Similarly the citizens in the developed countries are obliged to dump all the products that are used in recycle bins so that they can be used again. Government is intervening in recycling programs by investing in roadside recycling bins and other plants which would help to recycle waste products. The waste products of households are usually taken by waste collect ion vehicles which then take the waste materials to specific plants (Mitchell 2007). As the waste products are a mixture of

Organizational Behavior---Individual Assignment Instruction Essay

Organizational Behavior---Individual Assignment Instruction - Essay Example An example of an organizational conflict that I witnessed was in a company that I worked part time during the last summer. In this organization, Faith, the chief engineer in charge of new product development brought a list of items to George, the procurement officer for purchase. However, George failed to sanction the purchase claiming that the products were too expensive and did not meet the cost cutting threshold that had been imposed by the organization. However, faith believed that George did not have trust in her abilities and hence the reason why he was constantly fighting her anytime a new spare needed to be purchased. To resolve this conflict, the business unit vice president ordered the two to report to the same executive who would evaluate the purchase orders in terms of cost-effectiveness and quality. This change of structure aligned the hitherto incompatible goals. In the case of the conflict between George and Faith, it was resolved by altering the organizational structure to fit the two parties. However, I have realized that in most cases most of the organizational conflict happens in teams. Wherever such conflict happens, the easiest solution would be to change the group composition. However, there are other times when the conflict is as a result of varying styles and values among team members. Naturally, when that occurs, the first thing that comes to the leaders mind is to replace the team members that do not agree with the styles or preferences of the teams. Over the years, I have observed that removing some people from the team may not always be possible since their skills might be needed or there might not be an available replacement for them. In the event that this happens, the most sensible way to mitigate such conflict is through focusing the team’s attention on a common enemy such as the competition. When people or even departments are taught on how to focus their attention on the enemies facing them instead of

Becoming a Police Officer Essay Example for Free

Becoming a Police Officer Essay Although being a police officer can be stressful, it can also be highly rewarding if public service is important to you. (Kara, 1999) When becoming a Police Officer, you are making a commitment to protect your community even if it means giving your life to do it. Despite what some people may think every police officer does their job they way they do it to make sure that your families are safe every night. Just like any job out there now a days you have to have an education. To be a police officer most places are now requiring a two degree. Going beyond a two year degree usually leaves you the opportunity to progress in your field of choice allowing for more job options. Being a Police Officer means that you have to first meet the requirements set forth by the department with which you are applying, have the unique set of skills to do your job efficiently, and you have to have the willingness to further your education to go further in your career. To be successful as a Police Officer there are some characteristics that you need. Some of these characteristics include having a level head, being able to think quickly on your feet, and have the ability to work well under pressure. You have to be able to work well with little to no supervision. This is a skill you need when working undercover and in the field. It is also important that you have self-confidence, and confidence in your ability to make decisions and take the lead in what could be a risky situation. Leadership skills are also important because the people of the community look to you to be able to solve issues and crime related issues. Having the capabilities to be a leader comes very important in the job as an officer. The whole community depends upon your ability to be a leader in their eyes. It’s highly important to have the ability to stay calm in highly stressful situations. If you are unable to stay calm in high pressure situations and emotional intense situations it will become hard for you to as an officer to function on a daily basis. Having patience (which can be difficult at times) and a good set of morals are also important skills an officer must have. An officer must be able to handle situations with patience and good communication skills. These come very handy while interviewing a suspect or even dealing with issues in the community. Having a good set of morals are important because as an officer of the law you must set the example and follow the laws yourself and not believe that you can get away with everything because you are above the law, because you are not. You are an enforcer of the law, so to enforce the law upon others you must also obey the laws yourself. You also should have a good sense of right and wrong to be able to encourage good behavi or to the public. The basic requirements to be a police officer are usually about the same, because most follow the civil service regulations when hiring officers. These requirements would include: Being a United States citizen, you have to be at least twenty-one years old, have a high school diploma or equivalent education, possess a valid driver’s license, and have no prior convictions. Now these are just the basics, most departments generally have more requirements, for example a lot of departments now require that you have at least an associate’s degree in criminal justice. Before you can begin working in a department as an officer you are generally required to attend a police academy which you must complete and pass to be qualified as a Police Officer. When you go through the police academy you are generally there from twelve to fourteen weeks, while there you must pass a physical fitness and written exam. While at the police academy educational wise, you will learn state ordinances and local laws, working with the public, constitutional laws, accident investigation, incident reporting, civil rights, mental preparation for hostility, and criminal psychology. Like most jobs you can learn all you want about a job but, you learn best by doing. Because police jobs are dangerous jobs they require specific training to succeed in the field. Work experience is done under the supervision of a training officer. The on the job training includes: using firearms, responding to emergencies, controlling traffic, CPR and first-aid, self-defense techniques, apprehension techniques, risk assessment, and role playing. All training is essential to be the best you can be at being an officer. All the training that is endured is important for you to be the person the community needs you to be. There are several opportunities for advancement in law enforcement. The police force ranking is clearly structured and goes as followed: Police constable, sergeant, inspector, chief inspector, superintendent, chief superintendent, assistant chief constable, deputy chief constable, and chief constable. Police constables have to complete a two year probationary period before they can be eligible for higher ranking. When the probationary period is over police constables are then able to apply for specialist units such as the fraud squad, fire arms, drug squad, child protection, criminal investigation department (CID) traffic, mounted branches, dog handlers, and underwater search units. Becoming a police officer is a process; you are tested physically and mentally. Being a police officer is an important job because those people are there for you, your family, and the community. Not only is education a requirement to being a police officer, but furthering that education will open up more opportunities in that field. To be a police officer it takes a number of skills to be the best you can be at your job. References AGCAS. (2012, January). Police officer career development. Retrieved from http://www.prospects.ac.uk/police_officer_career_development.htm Education Portal. (2003). Police officer: Educational requirements for police officers. Retrieved from http://education-portal.com/articles/Police_Officer_Educational_Requirements_for_Police_Officers.html What type of person can succeed in law enforcement. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.communitypolicing.org/law-enforcement-success

The Capital Structure choice of Pepsico

The Capital Structure choice of Pepsico The collection of securities that the firm issues to raise capital from investors is the firms capital structure. Equity and debt are the most commonly used securities by firms. The amount of debt determines the firms leverage. The firm should always use a capital structure which will maximize the total value of the securities issued. In order to determine the capital structure of a firm, It is also necessary to determine the different ratios such as net debt ratio, fixed coverage ratio, interest ratio, long term debt ratio, cash flow ratio, etc, to evaluate the effects of the ratios on the on the firm. These ratios are useful for comparing analyzing with other competitor firms. Ratios help the firm to determine their position in terms of the market value, book value, market capitalization, debt value, revenues, etc. The  Modigliani-Miller theorem states that, the firms value is unaffected by the way it is financed in the absence of taxes, bankruptcy costs and asymmetric information in a perfect market.  It does not matter if the firms capital is raised by issuing  stock  or by selling debt. It does not matter what the firms  dividend  policy is. Therefore, the Modigliani-Miller theorem is also often called the  capital structure irrelevance principle. We will look at this theory in detail in capital structure. In this report we look at the different theories (pecking order theory, trade-off theory, asset substitution theory, modigliani-miller theory) capital structure choice of PepsiCo by determining various ratios, comparing PepsiCo with its competitors. Analysis of the results and recommendations provided. INTRODUCTION Pepsi was originally named as Brads Drink, after its creator, Caleb Bradham, a pharmacist from New Bern, North Carolina. Pepsi was created in 1893 and was later renamed as Pepsi Cola in 1898. Pepsi contained the digestive enzymes pepsin and kola nuts used in manufacturing Pepsi. Bradham had thought about creating a drink for people that was delicious and would help in digestion and boost energy. PepsiCo Inc. is an American Multinational Corporation headquartered in New York. The company manufactures markets sells a range of salty sweet grain based snacks. It also produces carbonated non-carbonated beverages and other food products. PepsiCo has approximately 285,000 employees working in over 200 countries. Pepsi Cola Company began in 1898, but it only became known as PepsiCo when it merged with Frito Lays in 1965. Until 1997 it also owned KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. In 1998 2001 PepsiCo bought Tropicana Quaker Oats. In 2005 PepsiCo surpassed Coca-Cola Company in market value for the first time in 112 years since both companies began to compete. Over the years PepsiCo has become a global beverage, snack foods company. PepsiCo owns 5 different billion dollar brands such as Pepsi, Tropicana, Frito Lay, Quaker Oats Gatorade. PepsiCo also owns other brands such as Diet Pepsi, 7UP, Mirinda, Ruffles Potato Chips, Aquafina Bottled Water, Pepsi Max, Mountain Dew, etc. Indra Krishnamurthy Nooyi has been the chief executive of PepsiCo since 2006. PepsiCo delivered some solid financial performance in 2009, Its Net revenue grew by 5%, Core division operating profit grew by 6%, Core earnings per share grew by 6%, Management operating cash flow excluding certain items reached $5.6 billion up by 16%, Annual Dividend raised by 6%. PepsiCo estimated worldwide retail sales of $108 billion through all the products. In 2009 PepsiCos Net Revenue was $43,232 million, mixed net revenues of 37% from food products and 63% from beverages. Net Revenues generated according to operations in US and outside US are 52% in US and 48% outside US. Net Revenues generated through PepsiCo and its subsidiary companies are 48% by PepsiCo Americas Foods, 23% by PepsiCo Americas Beverages, 29% by PepsiCo International. 2.1 PepsiCos Strategies for driving growth Expand the Global Leadership Position of Snacks Business Ensure sustainable profitable growth in global beverages. Continue to deliver environmental sustainability goals and commitments. Cherish associates and develop the leadership to sustain growth. 2.2 PepsiCos Competitive Advantage Strengths PepsiCos competitive advantage lies in their talented, dedicated and hard working work-force, that work on its huge brands, innovating producing differentiated products, using excellent marketing methodologies. PepsiCo also uses cost saving initiatives in operations. All these factors help them to sustain a competitive advantage in the market. PepsiCos strength lies in its brand name recognized all over the world, huge range of food and beverage products, marketing style in different regions according to the place culture segmentation, and huge marketing budget. CAPITAL STRUCTURE The most fundamental question of corporate finance is how a firm should raise capital from investors. A firm must determine the type of security it will issue to the investors. Capital structure refers to the way a firm finances its assets through some combination of equity, debt, or other securities. There are different theories to determine the capital structure of the company. (3.1) Pecking Order Theory (developed by Stewart Myers, 1984) states that the firms have a preferred structure for financing; the factor with a high preference uses internal financing such as retained earnings before opting for any external financing. External financing uses debts, convertible securities, preferred stock common stock. So the firm first uses its retained earnings for operations or investments or expansions and then if required they can opt for external financial resources. (3.2) Trade-Off Theory states that the firms are financed partly with equity and partly with debt. Debt financing is preferred here due to the tax benefits of debt. Debt financing also bears bankruptcy and non-bankruptcy costs. Further according to the theory marginal cost of the debts increases as the debt increases and marginal benefits decline as the debt decreases. (3.3) Agency Cost Theory states that there are 3 different agency costs related to a firms capital structure, they are asset substitution, cash flow underinvestment. Asset Substitution states that as the debt to equity ratio increases the firm gets more freedom to invest in new projects, this leads to the decline in the value of the firm which results into wealth being transferred from debt holders to shareholders. Underinvestment problems occur when debt appears to be more risky, in this scenario of the firm the returns from the investment in projects will be directed towards the debt holders rather than the shareholders. This may lead to the firm declining to start any new projects, and there is a potential to increase the firms value. Free Cash Flow states that free cash flow is also a problem for the firm if the cash is not returned to the investors. Doing so will disrupt the value of the firm. (3.4) Modigliani-Miller Theory (developed by Merton Miller Franco Modigliani) states that it is assumed that there are no transaction costs, no taxes and there is a perfect market condition. They also stated that the value of a firm is determined by adding up all the debts and equity of the firm. This can be viewed through an example Firm A Firm B Debt value 0 2,500,000 Interest on debt 0 5% Expenses on debt 0 125,000 Share 1,000,000 500,000 Price per share 5 5 Market value of equity 5,000,000 2,500,000 From the above table we can see the market value of Firm A is 5million (only equity), Firm A is only financed by shares, therefore the value of Firm A is 5million. Market value of Firm B is 5million (equity + debt), 50% financed by shares and 50% by debt, but Firm B has to pay interest on the debts which is 5% of the debt value which is 125,000. Therefore the returns on equity for Firm B will be its earnings minus the value of interest on debts. Returns per share for Firm B will be returns on equity divided by earnings. If Firm B would have sold its stock at a premium rate then it could have made arbitrage profits. Modigliani Miller theory states that the value of a firm in a perfect market is not affected by the way the company is financed but it is affected through the sort of capital structure the firm utilizes. PEPSICOS NET DEBT RATIO Debt ratio that indicates the proportion of debt a company has relative to its assets. The measure gives an idea to the leverage of the company along with the potential  risks  the company faces in terms of its debts. If debt ratio is higher than 1 then the firm has more debt than assets, if debt ratio is less than 1 then the firm has more assets than debts. The formula for calculating debt ratio is, Debt Ratio = total debt / total assets. Debt Ratio helps to measure the risk a bank or financial institution will take if they are financing a firm. Net Debt is the measure of a firms overall debt by taking the net value of debts and cash. Net Debt is calculated as, Net Debt = (long term debt + short term debt) cash cash equivalents. According to PepsiCo, they measure net debt ratio on market-value basis where net debt equals total debt. PepsiCos Net Debt Ratio (L*) = (D + PVOL CMS) / (NP + D + PVOL CMS). D is the market value of total debt (long term debt plus short term debt), PVOL is the present value of operating leases, CMS is the cash marketable securities, N is the number of common shares, P is the common stock price. From the assignment referring to exhibit 2 exhibit 4, all values in millions dollars except for the common stock price, D = 9215, PVOL = 479 * 5 = 2395, CMS = 1498 and reduce it by 25% for remitting to US therefore CMS = 1123.5, N = 788, P = 55.875. L *= [(9215+2395) 1123.5] / [((788*55.875)+9215+2395) 1123.5] L* = 19.2 % (PepsiCos Net Debt Ratio is 19.2%). Now to analyze this we can ask some questions as how much debt really exists? If we consider exhibit 2 in the assignment there are other factors like accounts payable, short term debt other current liabilities which constitute of total current liabilities plus long term debt other liabilities, all this together shows that the total liabilities are 18,119million dollars, which is a bit high according to the market situation. That is why this shows the Moodys rating of PepsiCo is A1/A. PepsiCo will have to reduce their liabilities in order to gain a rating of Aa3/AA of Coca-Cola. What kind of debt is it, long term or short term? Firstly let us talk about short term debt, if we talk about short term debts then we can assume it can be included in current debts, so according to the balance sheet in exhibit 2, total current liability is 5230million dollars, while total long term liability is 12889million dollars, so the total long term debt is very high compared to total current liabilities. PepsiCo will have to reduce its long term debts more effectively in order to increase its ratings and also increase its assets. Can the company afford the debts if  it runs into financial trouble? Let us calculate the debt ratio as explained above in the beginning, Debt ratio = total debt / total assets (both values are in million dollars) = 18119 / 25432 = 0.71. If the debt ratio is less than 1 it means that the firm has more assets than debts. So PepsiCo can afford to be debt financed at a certain level. Looking at the current assets if the company runs into financial trouble then it can clear all its debts by selling off its assets. RATIO COMPARISON ANALYSIS Table of calculated ratios referring to values given in exhibit 5 in assignment, RATIOS PEPSICO CADBURY SCHWEPPES COCA COLA COCA COLA ENTERPRISES MCDONALDS INTEREST COVERAGE 4.565 4.896 16.911 1.444 7.379 FIXED CHARGE COVERAGE 3.094 4.287 16.911 1.406 3.588 LONG-TERM DEBT 0.165 0.090 0.011 0.517 0.112 TOTAL DEBT TO TOTAL ADJUSTED CAPITALIZATION 0.176 0.146 0.016 0.521 0.125 CASH FLOW TO LONG TERM DEBT 0.427 0.569 2.730 0.155 0.539 CASH FLOW TO TOTAL DEBT 0.395 0.330 1.839 0.153 0.474 Lets look at each ratio one by one in detail and analyze it. (5.1) Interest coverage ratio is used to calculate the firms ability to pay interest on the debts. If the ratio is low the firm has huge debt expenses. If the ratio is less than 1 then it means that the firm is unable to generate revenues to incur the interest expenses. Interest coverage ratio = earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) / interest expense. According to the table above, we can see that interest coverage ratio of PepsiCo is 4.565 which is very higher than 1 and is considered as good. Comparing it with other companies in the table, we can see that Coco Cola has the highest ratio of 16.911 which is very impressive, but Coca Cola Enterprises has a ratio of 1.44 which is a caution alarm for its investors. To be on a safer side if the ratio is 1.5 or less then firms ability to meet its interest expenses can be questionable i.e. the is not able to generate sufficient returns to meet the interest expenses. (5.2) Fixed charge coverage ratio is used to calculate the firms ability to pay its fixed-charges such as rent and interest on debt without increasing the debts. If the ratio is less than 1 then the firm is not able to pay its fixed charges and vice versa. Fixed-charge coverage ratio = (EBIT  + fixed charges before tax) / (fixed charged before tax +  interest). According to the table above, we can see that PepsiCos fixed charge coverage ratio is 3.094 which is greater than 1. Comparing it with other companies in the table, Coca Cola has the highest ratio of 16.911 which is very impressive, but for Coca Cola Enterprises is 1.406 which is very less. PepsiCo should decrease its debts in order to reduce its fixed charges which will help to increase the value of the ratio. (5.3) Long term debt ratio is used to calculate the firms leverage. Higher the ratio, higher is the firms leverage. Firm with a high ratio is considered more risky for investors to invest because they have more liabilities than equity and vice versa. Long term debt ratio = long term debt / (long term debt + preferred stock + common stock). According to the table above, PepsiCos long term debt ratio is 0.165 which is less. Comparing to other companies in the table, Coca cola has a ratio of 0.011 which shows that it has more equity than liability, but Coca Cola Enterprises has a ratio of 0.517 which shows that it has almost 50% equity and 50% liability, so investing in Coca Cola Enterprises is more risky. (5.4) Total debt to total adjusted capitalisation ratio is used to calculate the firms leverage which includes long term and short term debts. Total debt to total adjusted capitalisation ratio = (long-term debt + short term debt) / [(long-term debt + short term debt) + preferred stock + common stock]. According to the table above, PepsiCos total debt to total adjusted capitalisation ratio is 0.176. Comparing to other companies in the table, Coca Cola has a ratio of 0.016 which shows it has more equity than liability, but Coco Cola Enterprises has a ratio of 0.521 which is again very risky. (5.5) Ratio of cash flow to long term debt is used to calculate the firms ability to generate cash in comparison with the long term debts. Ratio of cash flow to long term debt = cash flow / long term debt. According to the table above, PepsiCos ratio of cash flow to long term debt is 0.427 which is not good enough. Comparing it with other companies, Coca Colas ratio of cash flow to long term debt is 2.730, which is very impressive. PepsiCo has more long term debts than its annual cash flow while Coca Colas annual cash flow is 3 times the value of its long term debt. Firms with a high cash flow after interest and taxes are in a better position to distribute cash dividends. Firm with high cash flow can also use the cash to invest in other projects, buy assets, reduce debts etc. (5.6) Ratio of cash flow to total debt is used to calculate the firms ability to generate cash in comparison with its total debts. Ratio of cash flow to total debt = cash flow / total debt. According to the table above, PepsiCos ratio of cash flow to total debt is 0.395. Comparing it with other companies, Coca Colas ratio of cash flow to total debt is 1.839 which is very good. PepsiCos total debt is more than twice the value of its annual cash flow while Coca Colas annual cash flow is 2 times the value of its total debt. After considering all the ratios in the table, we can say that PepsiCo needs to reduce its debts by a huge margin and generate more cash so that it can use this cash to pay out more dividends to its investors, increase equity and reduce liability, invest in more products, buy assets, etc. Coca Cola is the largest competitor of PepsiCo, so PepsiCo needs to improve its equity in order to compete more effectively with Coca Cola. If company has less debts and liabilities people will invest more which will provide PepsiCo with a good rating as Coca Cola. PepsiCo can easily borrow money from the market for investments and also it can easily pay it back. Even in financial or economic crisis it will be the least affected company. Capital structure of PepsiCo has debt and equity. According to the net debt ratio we can say PepsiCo has about 20% 25% debt and 75% 80% equity. PEPSICOS RATING OBJECTIVE Ratings are given to companies depending on various factors such as its debt value, equity value, sources of finance, stock price, number of shares, profits, dividends, etc. Moody rated A as upper-medium grade, subject to low credit risk,  but that have elements present that suggest a susceptibility to impairment over the long term. PepsiCo has a rating of A1/A which places it in the upper medium grade category. A1 is the high quality rating given to PepsiCo, Aaa is the highest rating available. Coca Colas rating is Aa3/AA shows that it has much better ratings then PepsiCo. If PepsiCo wants to have a net debt ratio of 20% 25% then it will have to increase its debts and reduce equity, if this happens the Corporate Debt Rating of PepsiCo might fall to Baa which is lower medium grade. This will show a bad image of the company in the market, investors will find it risky to invest in PepsiCo. This means people will not buy shares of PepsiCo and it will not be able to raise funds through the issue of share to decrease its debts or to invest in the business. As a result of which they will have to borrow from the banks, Banks would also lend them funds to a certain limit where their assets are equal to liabilities, Banks would like to make sure that PepsiCo are able to pay back the funds with interest before lending them the funds. PepsiCo should reduce their net debt ratio to at least 15% instead of increasing it, due to this they will have more cash flow, reduced debts, can easily pay back dividends to investors, they can easily raise funds through issue of shares instead of borrowing from banks or other financial institutions. This will overall help PepsiCo to increase its ratings from A to Aa. CONCLUSION